ISLAMABAD: Peshawar Zalmi defeated Quetta Gladiators by five wickets in the second game of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2022 at Karachi's National Stadium on Friday.
Zalmi, who won the toss and decided to field first, needed 191 runs to win after William Smeed smashed 97 off 62 balls and Ahsan Ali scored 73 off 46 deliveries.
In the second innings, Gladiators shocked Zalmi with three quick wickets, but Zalmi skipper Shoaib Malik and Hussain Talat took the charge. Talat smashed 52 off 29 deliveries, while Malik hit an unbeaten 48 off 32 balls.
Mohammad Nawaz picked up three wickets, while Naseem Shah and James Faulkner dismissed one each.
The seventh edition of Pakistan’s own professional cricket league kicked off in Karachi on Thursday, with Multan Sultans defeating Karachi Kings by seven wickets.
The match was preceded by an electrifying opening ceremony that featured plenty of fireworks and performances by pop stars Atif Aslam and Aima Baig.
Both the "Yellow Storm" Zalmi and the Gladiators have won the PSL title once each, with Zalmi qualifying for the final three times before. In last year’s edition, Zalmi lost the final to Multan Sultans.